Curious about crafting in BioWare's upcoming Star Wars MMORPG? We are too. We're so curious in fact, that we're bringing you not one but two crafting-centric stories today. In addition to our exclusive dev interview, BioWare has also updated its official The Old Republic website with a hefty dose of info on crew skills.
In a nutshell, your hero character will have the ability to assign crafting, gathering, and even mission skills to various NPC crew members. While you're out saving the galaxy, chasing attractive Twi'leks, or whatever it is that heroes do these days, your faithful companions will be doing all the grunt work involved in keeping you competitive when it comes to crafting.
Gathering skills include bioanalysis, scavenging, and slicing, while crafting skills break down into armormech, artifice, and biochem categories. Last but not least, mission skills feature diplomacy and treasure hunting. That's not all either, as the web page features a few tantalizing question marks indicating further skill reveals in the future. We'll tell our astromechs and slicers to keep a sharp lookout, and in the meantime, you can view the crew skills video after the cut.
Reader Comments (33)
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:16PM KvanCetre said
Crafting sounds a but like the missions you could send your companions on in final fantasy tactics, oddly enough. While it sounds cool, if I'm reading correctly, it says if you come to me asking to have some armor crafted, it could take me hours before I have it ready? That's certainly a big change from the major mmos.
Different, but not a bad thing.
Different, but not a bad thing.
Posted: Nov 13th 2010 1:11PM Noah K said
You're thinking about "Bar Propositions". It was actually a really great system. If you sent your best Wizard out on a Prop, you wouldn't have him during an upcoming battle, which could be a deciding factor. Plus, a system as described above regulates the amount of items that enter the economy, which is a good thing. Looking forward to the game!!
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Posted: Nov 13th 2010 7:26PM (Unverified) said
1:04
"This doesn't mean you can't do it yourself also."
It's more like having the original crafting systems we're used to, with added NPC backup.
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"This doesn't mean you can't do it yourself also."
It's more like having the original crafting systems we're used to, with added NPC backup.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:20PM Sharuk said
Ok, now that is an amazing update. Not only do we see crafting but we see an open world and questing and beautiful atmosphere (including rain).
I love the way crafting is implemented here. Game looks better an better.
I love the way crafting is implemented here. Game looks better an better.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:22PM Minofan said
Yay; that does all sound interesting. ^_^
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:23PM jelly jedi said
i'll choose my wookie crew member over a chinese gold farmer anyday
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:26PM Sharuk said
When devs want to take the easy way out with MMOs they implement grinds. This is true in a lot of Asian MMOs. Grinding in questing and grinding in crafting. BioWare seems like they are taking the grind away from both completely. It looks like they are going the extra mile in terms of actual content and work.
Kudos to them.
Kudos to them.
Posted: Nov 15th 2010 6:17PM jimr9999us said
Color me impressed.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:32PM Randomessa said
Wow; I never thought I'd be advocating for something that others consider a grind, but crafting is something I like to do in-game when I *don't* want to quest/fight anymore. Since I only like to quest/pvp/etc. in short bursts, this actually keeps me in-game longer and allows me to socialize more (something I don't do well when out soloing or playing with my husband).
This is.... nice, I guess, for those who don't feel that way, but disappointing for me. It's a real shame, because it's not like I wanted SW:TOR to be a completely different game, a la SWG, but this is *so close* and yet just a hair enough away from what I like that it reduces my interest by a bit each reveal.
This is.... nice, I guess, for those who don't feel that way, but disappointing for me. It's a real shame, because it's not like I wanted SW:TOR to be a completely different game, a la SWG, but this is *so close* and yet just a hair enough away from what I like that it reduces my interest by a bit each reveal.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:10PM (Unverified) said
If you watch the video, it clearly illustrates that a player can go out and do all the gathering and exploring themselves. The actual crafting process is handled by the companions. But as DE alluded to in his interview here, if you want to sit there and watch your companions craft then that's your prerogative. But there's zero difference between the process of AFK crafting and having your companions do it on the ship.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:38PM Randomessa said
I did notice that you can opt to gather your own materials. I also noted that there's no difference between AFK crafting and having your companions do it. My point is that I don't AFK craft - I like involved mini-game style crafting like Everquest II, or even more complex systems like Vanguard (which I did not get into in depth but which sounded interesting).
That's not present here, which is great, for those who would rather do without.
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That's not present here, which is great, for those who would rather do without.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:33PM CCon99 said
Sounds interesting, hopefully this means you'll be able to actually craft items that are meaningful and not garbage that is mediocre compared to "quest rewards". But looks cool so far, good to see companions will be doing stuff that helps you out, instead of just following you and slowing you down when they get stuck on the landscape.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:33PM Its Utakata stupid said
Hey...is there away to craft your own campanion droids?
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 5:41PM (Unverified) said
1:34 - What's up with the person frozen in stone?
It's very nice to see a different system in place than the standard fare. Plus, I liked the slight humor of the video, particularly with the crew left in the dark. :P
It's very nice to see a different system in place than the standard fare. Plus, I liked the slight humor of the video, particularly with the crew left in the dark. :P
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:14PM Resurge said
yea i'm just gonna assume you meant carbonite there, and let that pass.
I also was wondering about it though. Is that some sort of nod to Han Solo on a very odd set decoration piece or wtf? Why would that exist in that time line? Did they have a human-carbonation process back then in the Old Republic? I'm no Star Was expert, but I just sorta assumed since they tested it out on Han in preparation for Luke in Empire, that it was a new process ..i don't read the books or anything, but maybe someone with higher nerd credentials than me could answer what the hell is going on with this? Or IS it stone ..and if it is, again ..wtf is going on here?
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I also was wondering about it though. Is that some sort of nod to Han Solo on a very odd set decoration piece or wtf? Why would that exist in that time line? Did they have a human-carbonation process back then in the Old Republic? I'm no Star Was expert, but I just sorta assumed since they tested it out on Han in preparation for Luke in Empire, that it was a new process ..i don't read the books or anything, but maybe someone with higher nerd credentials than me could answer what the hell is going on with this? Or IS it stone ..and if it is, again ..wtf is going on here?
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 7:06PM Valdamar said
The carbonite process may just have been rediscovered in the era of the original movies, rather than being invented then. The Star Wars universe has had quite a few "dark ages" where technology was lost, as I understand it.
Or maybe carbonite freezing just hadn't been used for storing living beings for so long that people had forgotten that use for it. Vader just wasn't sure if it would work and wanted proof, but that may have been a gap in his own knowledge as much as anything.
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Or maybe carbonite freezing just hadn't been used for storing living beings for so long that people had forgotten that use for it. Vader just wasn't sure if it would work and wanted proof, but that may have been a gap in his own knowledge as much as anything.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:41PM (Unverified) said
Feeling real good about this, I was skeptical up till now. Seems like they got it down pretty solid.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:55PM archer75 said
This is a great feature. Looking forward to the game!










